Geranium plant named Blues

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of geranium plant named Blues characterized by the combined features of fuchsia pink flower color, semi-double to single flower form, cultivation below 12° C., short peduncles, large flowerhead, compact habit, and excellent branching.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of geranium,botanically known as Pelargonium zonale, and hereinafter referred to bythe cultivar name Blues.

Blues is a product of planned breeding program which had the objectiveof creating new geranium cultivars with pink flower color, semi-doubleflower form, compact habit, fast rooting, good tolerance to botrytis,and superior weather resistance.

Blues was originated from a hybridization made in a controlled breedingprogram in Hillscheid, Federal Republic of Germany in 1979. The femaleparent was the unpatented cultivar Highfields Festival, a cultivarhaving pink semi-double flowers, inferior branching, and slow rooting.The male parent of Blues was a patented cultivar created byself-breeding of an unnamed cultivar designated by number 94, with themale parent having pink flower color with a white eye, single flowerform, and compact habit.

Blues was discovered and selected as one flowering plant within theprogeny of the stated cross by Ingeborg Schumann on June 27, 1980 in acontrolled environment in Hillscheid, Federal Republic of Germany.

The first act of asexual reproduction of Blues was accomplished whenvegetative cuttings were taken from the initial selection in January,1981 in a controlled environment in Hillscheid, Federal Republic ofGermany by a technician working under formulations established andsupervised by Ingeborg Schumann. Horticultural examination of selectedunits initiated in the Spring of 1981 and continued in 1982 hasdemonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosedfor Blues are firmly fixed and are retained through successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

Blues has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions.The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment suchas temperature, light intensity, and day length. The followingobservations, measurements, and comparisons describe plants grown inHillscheid, Federal Republic of Germany under greenhouse conditionswhich approximate those generally used in commercial practice.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of Blues which in combination distinguish thisgeranium as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Fuchsia pink flower color.

2. Semi-double to single flower form.

3. Blues can be cultivated at temperatures below 12° C.

4. No growth treatment necessary for quality.

5. Short peduncles.

6. Large flowerhead (umbel).

7. Compact habit.

8. Excellent branching, producing an average of 4.3 branches per plant.

9. Dark green foliage.

Of the many commercial cultivars known to the present inventor, the mostsimilar in comparison to Blues is Pelfi® Flirt and Pelfi® Rosenquarz.Reference is made to attached Chart A which compares certaincharacteristics of Blues to those same characteristics of Pelfi® Flirtand Pelfi® Rosenquarz. In general comparison to Pelfi® Flirt, Blues hasa shorter internode length and shorter plant height, smaller leaves,better branching, and faster rooting. In comparison to Pelfi®Rosenquarz, Blues has better foliage durability under outdoor and indoorconditions, faster rooting, and good tolerance to botrytis. In addition,the color of Blues is distinctive relative to the color of both of thecomparison cultivars.

The accompanying photographic drawings show typical flower and foliagecharacteristics of Blues, with colors being as true as possible withillustrations of this type.

Sheet 1 is a perspective view of a potted plant of Blues.

Sheet 2 is a relatively enlarged view of the flowers, buds and foliage,and

Sheet 3 is a black and white print of the underside of the leaves ofBlues.

In the 4:20 description color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, except where additional color valuesare given from the Horticultural Color Chart (HCC) The color values weredetermined between 4:05 and 4:20 P.M. on Aug. 12, 1983 under 20,000 Kluxat Hillscheid, Federal Republic of Germany.

CLASSIFICATION

Botanical: A hybrid of the genus Pelargonium l'hert.

Commercial: Blues.

INFLORESCENCE

Umbel:

Average diameter.--110 mm.

Average depth.--88 mm.

Peduncle length.--220 mm.

Pedicel length.--32 mm.

Corolla:

Average diameter.--51 mm.

Form.--Nearly single, weak semi-double, round.

Color (general tonality from a distance of three meters).--RHS 58C, HCC625.

Color (abaxial).--RHS 55A, HCC 625/1, with white eye at center.

Bud:

Shape.--Narrow elliptic.

Color (abaxial).--Slightly lighter than corolla.

Reproductive organs:

Androecium.--Monodelphous; 7-9 stamens; plentiful pollen.

Gynoecium.--4-5 Lobed stigma, deformed.

Spring flowering response period: In Hillscheid, Federal Republic ofGermany in 1982, 60% of plants with at least 1 flower opened 13 weeksafter planting of unrooted cuttings.

Outdoor flower production: The flower count in 1982 in Hillscheid,Federal Republic of Germany was between 41 and 46 flowers per plant forJune through October observation period.

Durability: 100% shatter resistance.

PLANT

Foliage:

Form.--Generally kidney shaped.

Margin.--Bicrenate.

Color (abaxial).--Dark green.

Tolerance to botrytis.--Good.

General appearance and form:

Internode length.--30 mm.

Branching pattern.--An average of 4.3 branches per plant.

Height.--235 mm.

                  CHART A                                                         ______________________________________                                                         Branching                                                                     Habit     Chlorophyll                                                Corolla  (number of                                                                              Quality for                                                                             Rooting                                          Color    branches) Transportation                                                                          Time                                     ______________________________________                                        Pelfi ®                                                                           RHS 67C  3.2       good      slow                                     Flirt                                                                         Pelfi ®                                                                           RHS 61D  4.2       bad       medium                                   Rosenquarz                                                                    Blues   RHS 58C  4.3       very good very fast                                ______________________________________                                                         Spring    Outdoor   Tolerance                                        Plant    Flowering Flower    of                                               Height   Response  Production                                                                              Botryis                                  ______________________________________                                        Pelfi ®                                                                           tall     55%       40-44     medium                                   Flirt                                                                         Pelfi ®                                                                           small    70%       52-54     bad                                      Rosenquarz                                                                    Blues   medium   60%       41-46     good                                     ______________________________________                                    

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of geranium plant named Blues,as described and illustrated, and particularly characterized by thecombined features of fuchsia pink flower color, semi-double to singleflower form, cultivation below 12° C., short peduncles, largeflowerhead, compact habit, and excellent branching.